Another fine weekend, which means it’s time to cook something worth eating. Today I made tiger-skin eggs and braised fish. I figured it’s about time to mix in a few recipes alongside the tech posts — after all, everyone has to eat. Let’s start with the tiger-skin eggs.
Process
Ingredients
Fresh eggs, corn oil, aromatics (scallions, ginger, garlic), light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise
1. Boil the Eggs
Boil the eggs in rolling water for 20 minutes — they need to be fully cooked, or the yolks won’t get that crumbly, sandy texture later. After boiling, transfer them to cold running water for 3 minutes. This makes peeling much easier.
2. Peel the Eggs
Peel them as cleanly as possible — any cracks will show up during frying. Pat the eggs dry; any moisture on the surface will cause the oil to splatter.
3. Fry the Eggs
Corn oil is the best choice here — it has the mildest flavor and won’t overpower the eggs. Heat the oil over high flame, then test it by inserting a wooden chopstick — when bubbles form around the wood, the oil is ready. Carefully lower the eggs in, then drop the heat to low. Fry slowly for 20 minutes until the surface is covered in those characteristic wrinkled “tiger skin” blisters. Remove the eggs and soak them in cold water, then drain.
4. Braise the Eggs
Fry the aromatics in oil until golden, then add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Pour in water to create the braising liquid. Once it comes to a boil, add the tiger-skin eggs and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Turn up the heat to reduce the sauce, then remove the eggs and place them in a bowl. The remaining braising liquid should cover the eggs.
5. Marinate
Don’t eat them right away. The real magic of tiger-skin eggs isn’t the wrinkled exterior — it’s what happens inside the yolk. A properly made tiger-skin egg has a bouncy, blistered white on the outside, and a rich, jammy, almost custardy yolk within. To get there, the eggs need to sit in the braising liquid for 4 to 6 hours. If it’s warm out, put them in the fridge to prevent spoilage.